Kirkman® Introduces More Bioavailable Form of Folic Acid

PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwired - August 02, 2016) - Kirkman®, a nutritional supplement company in Portland, Ore., has introduced a new supplement that provides folate in its most bioavailable form.

Folic acid (also known as vitamin B-9) is a nutrient present in leafy green vegetables, fruits, beans, peas and nuts. Additionally, enriched breads and cereals are fortified with folic acid. Still, it is very difficult to get enough solely from one's diet.

Often, nutritional supplements are made from a synthetic form of folic acid that is not biologically active until the body converts it into 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (folinic acid). This conversion is effected by an enzyme know as methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). However, 10 to 25 percent of the general population have one of several variants of the MTHFR gene. In such cases, the enzyme needed to complete the conversion is absent.

Those who have a MTHFR gene mutation require 5-MTHF in order to meet their folic acid requirements. Those who have not been tested for this genetic variation, and therefore do not know their MTHFR gene status, can ensure they are getting sufficient folate by taking 5-MTHF. For those who have no problem converting folic acid, 5-MTHF will be just as effective as a synthetic form.

While everyone needs folic acid, this nutrient is especially important during pregnancy. Doctors almost universally recommend supplementation for women intending to get pregnant. Inadequate levels of folic acid before and during pregnancy can lead to severe complications.

About Kirkman®:

Founded in 1949, Kirkman® is the oldest nutritional supplement company serving the special needs community. This experience has allowed Kirkman® to pioneer effective products in many areas of nutritional supplementation for individuals with special health needs.

Kirkman® is also a pioneer in the area of purity testing. Its Ultra Tested® protocol calls for testing every raw ingredient in every nutritional supplement it produces for more than 950 environmental contaminants. No other nutritional supplement company comes close to this level of commitment to producing pure, contaminant free supplements.